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Damian Calhoun. Sports Newsroom Assistant.

// MORE INFORMATION: Associate Mug Shot taken August 24, 2010 : by KATE LUCAS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

HUNTINGTON BEACH – Some of the faces are new and the roles aren’t defined, but the Mater Dei girls volleyball team has found a way back to the finals of the Dave Mohs Memorial tournament.

Mater Dei started Saturday with a loss to conclude pool play, but then swept Aliso Niguel, JSerra and Santa Margarita in the semifinals to advance to the finals to face Lakewood on Monday night.

“After this morning’s loss to CdM, I really had no idea what to expect,” Mater Dei coach Dan O’Dell said. “I was hoping the girls would take it one set at a time and one point at a time.”

That simple approach, combined with contributions from a lot of different pieces are a key reason why the Monarchs are headed back to the finals. Last year, the Monarchs defeated Redondo in the finals.

J’Nai Higgins hasn’t played a lot because her knee has been bothering her, but she brought this energy and steadiness to the court that’s contagious for the rest of the girls,” O’Dell said. “They matched her competitive attitude on the court and all of a sudden, we had six girls with the same fire that she brought and it was awesome.”

Alyse Ford led the Monarchs with 12 kills and Payton Chang added nine in the 25-23, 25-16 victory over Santa Margarita at Edison High.

Sophomore Shannon Scully had 10 kills in the match against JSerra and Corona del Mar. Brittany Welsh has six kills and three blocks against Aliso Niguel and seven against Corona del Mar. Makena Martin had four blocks against JSerra. Libero Gigi Alex had 10 digs in the semifinals.

“We’re trying different things and seeing people in different spots,” O’Dell said. “Slowly, we’re starting to figure out what roles girls are going to be playing on this team.”

St. Margaret’s will face Woodbridge in the Division 2 final at 6 p.m. Monday at Edison High. This is the first finals appearance for the Tartans since 2000. Emily Miller had 15 kills, 10 digs and an ace in the semifinal victory over Bakersfield. Last week, St. Margaret’s won the Segerstom tournament.

Contact the writer: dcalhoun@ocregister.com